Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate · INCI Sodium benzoate
If you have looked sodium benzoate up, you have probably read something alarming about benzene. That story is not invented, and it is also not about products like ours. Rather than hope you do not check, here is the whole thing.
You may have read that this turns into benzene. There is a real story behind that, and it does not apply to our products. Here is why, in full.
What it is
Sodium benzoate is the salt of benzoic acid, which occurs naturally in cranberries, plums and a number of other fruits. In our formulas it is one half of a two-part preservative system: it works with the gluconolactone listed further up, and together they keep the product free of bacteria and mould for its life on your shelf. Neither does the job alone, which is why they are always used as a pair, and why the two ingredient pages here are really one story told twice.
We chose this system because it is among the gentlest available and it is accepted under the organic cosmetic standards. It also has one requirement worth knowing about: it works best in a mildly acidic product, which ours are, and which is also the pH your skin prefers. That is a happy alignment rather than a compromise.
What it does in our formulas
One thing, and it does not work alone.
It keeps the product safe, with help
Sodium benzoate works in partnership with the gluconolactone further up the list. Together they hold the product at a mildly acidic pH and make it inhospitable to bacteria and mould. It is one of the gentlest preservative systems available, and it is accepted under the organic cosmetic standards, which is a large part of why we chose it.
Well characterisedWhat the research does not show
Two things get said about sodium benzoate. One is a real story taken out of context. The other is the far more dangerous idea, and it is the one nobody worries about.
Marketed as It turns into benzene, which causes cancer
Marketed as Preservative-free products are safer
So: a gentle, well-studied preservative, doing an essential job, in a formula that gives the benzene reaction nothing to work with. We would rather explain that in full than leave you to wonder.
On the label and in the range
Sodium benzoate appears in every one of our formulations, toward the end of the ingredient list, and it works with the gluconolactone sitting further up. Read them as a pair rather than as two separate ingredients. The exact percentage is published on each product page, as it is for everything we use, including the parts most brands would rather you did not dwell on.
Is it suitable for me?
Sodium benzoate has been reviewed by the independent expert panel that assesses cosmetic ingredients and found safe as used. It is well tolerated, suits a vegan routine, and carries no restrictions of concern under UK or EU cosmetic law at the levels used in leave-on products. Allergic reaction to it is uncommon, though as with any preservative it is not impossible, so if your skin reacts easily a patch test first is sensible.
As with anything new, if your skin reacts easily it is worth patch testing first.
The research behind this page
We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.